The Senate on Saturday voted 59-35 to confirm Sean Cairncross, a former Republican National Committee official, as the next national cyber director.
With his confirmation, Cairncross succeeds Harry Coker as head of the White House Office of the National Cyber Director.
In this capacity, he will serve as the principal adviser to the U.S. president on cybersecurity strategy and policy in relation to the coordination of information security and data protection; efforts to deter malicious cyber activity; and programs and policies meant to improve the U.S. cybersecurity posture, among others.
In February, President Donald Trump nominated Cairncross to the role.
Who Is Sean Cairncross?
Cairncross previously served as CEO of the foreign aid agency Millennium Challenge Corp.
During Trump’s first term, the former RNC chief operating officer was senior adviser to the White House Chief of Staff.
In a statement published Saturday, Cairncross said he is honored to serve the country and the president as the national cyber director.
“As the cyber strategic environment continues to evolve, we must ensure our policy efforts and capabilities deliver results for our national security and the American people. The United States must dominate the cyber domain through strong collaboration across departments and agencies, as well as private industry. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will enter a new era of effective cybersecurity policy,” he added.
